Chapter 726.1: Recognition
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Xiao Heng's clothing wasn’t made of particularly expensive fabric, but the simple attire on him still made him look as elegant and striking as a jade tree in the wind.
The room was very quiet.
It was hard to tell whether everyone was mesmerized by his presence or if the Emperor's reaction had made them afraid to breathe.
Or perhaps it was a bit of both.
The Crown Prince mustered up the courage to call out, “Imperial father, imperial father?”
The Emperor didn’t seem to hear him, or perhaps he did but chose to ignore him.
From the doorway to the bedside, a mere dozen steps took the Emperor quite some time to cover.
He had long passed the age of becoming overly excited about certain matters; all his myriad emotions were hidden within his weathered eyes.
He stood before the child.
The last time they had faced each other like this, the Eldest Imperial Grandson was just a five-year-old child, and he was less than two years old when Shangguan Yan returned to Shengdu with him.
At the age of three, the Xuanyuan Family staged a rebellion.
At the age of four, the Xuanyuan Family was annihilated.
At the age of five, he was imprisoned in the imperial mausoleum alongside the Crown Princess.
From then on, the Emperor could only catch a distant glimpse of him in the Imperial Advisor's Hall every two years or so.
But each time, the Emperor would have the Imperial Advisor paint a portrait of him, so he recognized the child, no matter how far away.
The Emperor halted, gazing intently at Xiao Heng, “...Qing'er.”
A hint of surprise flashed within Xiao Heng’s eyes, “Your Majesty?”
Everyone froze for a moment.
The Emperor exclaimed in astonishment, “You still remember Zhen?”
Xiao Heng: Hold on, shouldn’t I remember you? I return to Shengdu every two years, haven’t you and your grandson met at all?
Anyway, such a minor situation naturally couldn’t stump Xiao Heng.
Xiao Heng glanced at the Crown Prince, who was still stunned at the doorway, and calmly said, "That person called you 'imperial father.' I assume that no one in the State of Yan, except Your Majesty, is worthy of such a title."
The Emperor came back to his senses, “So you only just recognized Zhen. No wonder you were so decisive when you left the carriage last time.”
Xiao Heng paused before realizing what carriage and what last time the Emperor was talking about.
Wait a minute.
That bald old man… is you?
It was the night when he was being chased by Han Ye. The death warrior sent to save him had thrown him into a carriage, which was then split apart. He had only recognized Zhang Dequan at the time.
The Emperor asked, “Since you came to Shengdu, why didn’t you show yourself? Why didn’t you return to the imperial palace to find me?”
Xiao Heng lowered his eyes, his expression filled with sadness as he replied, "Because someone is trying to kill me. My mother told me to stay hidden and not to come out, but when I heard she was injured, I can’t keep running and hiding anymore."
The Emperor's expression suddenly darkened.
The Crown Prince was a bit lost.
At first, he didn’t recognize Xiao Heng. When he first saw him, he genuinely thought Shangguan Qing had returned.
It wasn’t until he heard the mention of someone trying to kill him that he snapped out of his daze.
He hadn’t sent anyone to kill Shangguan Qing; from start to finish, the only person he targeted was Xiao Liulang.
That kid’s original name was Xiao Heng, and his father was Marquis Xuanping of the State of Zhao, Xiao Ji. When Xiao Heng was fourteen, he sent someone to assassinate him, but Xiao Heng faked his death and escaped, surviving under the name Xiao Liulang.
The Crown Prince sometimes habitually referred to him as Xiao Liulang.
But something didn’t add up. Didn’t Xiao Heng already have the mole under his right eye removed?
So, who exactly was this? Shangguan Qing or Xiao Heng?
The Crown Prince felt that the possibility of it being Xiao Heng was greater, after all, Xiao Heng was in Shengdu, while there had been no news of Shangguan Qing for quite some time.
But wasn’t Xiao Heng unaware of his true background?
How could he possibly be here pretending to be Shangguan Qing?
The Crown Prince's mind was in a jumble, and he simply couldn’t sort out his thoughts in such a situation.
Meanwhile, the Little County Princess hopped in energetically.
The Emperor introduced her, saying, “Little Xue, this is Shangguan Qing... according to seniority, you should call him 'nephew.'”
Having attended Lingbo Academy and spent so much time with her peer, namely Little Jing Kong, the Little County Princess nearly forgot she was the elder in this situation.
She quickly straightened her little back, adopting a serious expression as she looked up at Xiao Heng and said, “I am Shangguan Xue…”
Ahhh!
This person is so good-looking!
The Little County Princess really wanted to cover her little face and scream!
The Little County Princess had actually met Xiao Heng on her first day at Lingbo Academy, but at that time, he was wearing the academy uniform of the Canglan Women’s Academy and had a veil on his face, making it impossible to see his features.
Xiao Heng pretended it was his first time meeting the Little County Princess, kneeling on one knee to meet her at eye level. With a slight smile, he said, “Hello, Little Aunt Xue.”
Pink bubbles of excitement practically floated above the Little County Princess's head.
This nephew was so adorable!
Unlike that annoying Ming Junwang!
From today onward, she would look after him!
The Little County Princess’s eyes were practically sparkling with excitement, though she tried hard to remain composed and calm. “Mm, hello, little nephew.”
Shangguan Qing took his mother's surname, a situation somewhat similar to a child born into a family where the husband was brought in by the wife. Therefore, he was not the Emperor's maternal grandson and wouldn’t call the Emperor "maternal grandfather" but rather "imperial grandfather."
However, Xiao Heng wouldn’t easily call him “imperial grandfather” at this moment.
Based on the Emperor’s attitude towards him, Xiao Heng made an initial judgment about the Eldest Imperial Grandson in the Emperor’s heart. That was, the Emperor cared about this grandson, even more than he had imagined.
Xiao Heng’s decision was quite risky; if the Emperor didn’t favor Shangguan Qing, he would have exposed himself for nothing.
On the two beds in the room lay two people: one was Shangguan Yan, who had just undergone surgery and was still in a deep sleep, and the other was Gu Jiao, who had exhausted herself and fallen asleep.
The Emperor’s gaze swept over them before finally settling on Shangguan Yan, asking, “Did the physician say anything about your mother’s condition?”
Xiao Heng glanced at the sleeping Gu Jiao, clenched his fingers, and said, “I heard from this physician surnamed Xiao that my mother has fractured two backbones. To save her life, they had to insert eight iron nails into her back.”
Iron nails driven into bone!
The Emperor’s aura instantly turned cold, and a wave of murderous intent filled the room.
Even the usually unafraid Little County Princess instinctively hopped closer to Xiao Heng’s side. She turned her head to glance at the Emperor while hugging Xiao Heng’s leg, becoming a little leg ornament for her nephew.
Xiao Heng didn’t move, allowing her to hang on.
The Emperor was furious about the severity of the former Crown Princess’s injuries, though it was unclear whether his anger stemmed from lingering fatherly affection or from the insult to his authority as a monarch.
Xiao Heng silently planned what to say next.
“I heard that my mother slipped and fell down a slope.”
The Emperor turned to look at him.
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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Description:
In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.
When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.
The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.
From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.
***
Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.
After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"
Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"
Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”
Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
He hasn't finished his lines yet though…